Jana, another oddity was that I could go to Carbondale and be asked where down south I was from. Reed also penned and performed the song for the opening credits, entitled "The Legend", which tells of some of the Bandit's escapades before the events of the film, and the ballad "The Bandit", which is in several versions in the movie and on the soundtrack. I will confess that by the time this movie was out, I was a Mopar guy. The cars were 1976 models, the engines fitted to them were 455ci powerplants, the last year these engines were offered for sale before withdrawal. This reminds me of the classic introduction (actually written by Dick Cavett) said by Jack Paar on The Tonight Show: I was 3 years old when the original came out, and do not remember any of these details but, supposedly this was the first movie my parents ever took me to. These Furys, as well as some of the LeMans units, have hood scoops. And then they made the biggest mistake of their lives and went to national distribution. Mr. Reynolds made a bunch of low budget films before this , all had wild chase scenes with cop cars crashing & going into swamps . Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, Did I mention how much I enjoy reading all the back stories and niggly details I can only get here ? All I know is, at the time, if you lived in the east, Coors was some really special beer not unlike microbrews are now. The checker, not batting an eye, Do you want that chilled?. Three actors from the main cast of The Dukes of Hazzard appear in small uncredited roles in Smokey and the Bandit: Ben Jones, John Schneider, and Sonny Shroyer (who played a police officer in both). you can find it on amazon.com . I only got one of them LOL. Probably the most interesting thing about this movie and Burt Reynolds is that he is not originally a Southern boy at all he was actually born in the Wolverine State Lansing, Michigan to be precise. One time a friend and I drove back to Kentucky on leave rather than flying; no particular reason, we had plenty of time and wanted to see some of the country. Some weren't that lucky and were discontinued altogether. Not everything was Pontiac, as evidenced by this 1973 Plymouth Satellite coupe (CC here). That is an excellent question. A CC for a 1973 Grand Ville convertible can be found here. Needham stated that by the end of production, there really wasnt much left of any of the three. Burt Reynolds plays truck driver Bo Bandit Darville. Along the way they tussle with tough as nails Texas Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason), pick up a runaway bride nicknamed Frog (Sally Field), and have all kinds of awesome times on the highway. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Smokey and the Bandit II is a 1980 American action comedy film directed by Hal Needham, and starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, . Many people believed beforehand that the film was not right for . He paid $550,000 for it, likely a record for any Pontiac Firebird. In Smokey and the Bandit, there were eight 1977 Trans-Am cars and approximately the same number of police cars (but some said ten). I dont know whose idea was to replace the wicked Two Lane Blacktop Chevy sourced engine sound effects with an authentic 200 horsepower muffled smogger 400, but that sumbitch is a scumbum!!! Mr. Reynolds elevated the dreck that he appeared in to a higher level, that is, enjoyable. The commercials were produced after Stewart mentioned that the movie was one of his favorites.[39]. Since mentioning the Kenworth, it must be noted it was a redecorator of the highest fashion. The second film was a modest box office success, earning $66.1 million against a $17 million budget. However, the scene where they drive through the Shell gas station was filmed in Ojai, California, on the corner of Ojai Avenue and El Paseo Road. In 2006, a DVD re-release was issued of Smokey and the Bandit featuring a digitally remastered audio track with 5.1 Dolby-compatible surround sound. Needham originally planned the film as a low-budget B movie with a production cost of $1 million,[4] with Reed as the Bandit. Its W.W. The rub? I have since moved on from them, mainly because in stock form, they were not particularly great cars (though good enough for the times). Upon showing it to his friend, Reynolds told Needham that it was the worst script he had ever read, but that he would still make the movie. The owner restored it and sold it at the Scottsdale 2016 auction by Barrett-Jackson. I have always loved this movie, watched it dozens and dozens of times on TV, video, DVD, laserdisc, almost any form of media. A strike at General Motors in 1972 limited the production of the Trans Am to less than 1,300 units that year, and Pontiac almost canceled the nameplate. Below is probably another DeKalb County cop car. And the 400 Pontiac or 403 Olds versions could be made to run well. Your email address will not be published. Burt Reynolds himself drove the car on stage to the song "East Bound and Down" and signed it. Great article! Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). And Coors itself limited its distribution to west of the Mississippi. The muscle car market reached a peak in the late 1960s, as the car was becoming larger, more powerful, and more aggressive by looks. And he succeeded as far as the Pontiac Trans Am is concerned. But that doesnt make for an interesting movie premise. 1-Smokey and the Bandit-The classic, the original, and the best one by FAR. The uncut version is the best. Five-string banjo player Bobby Thompson is prominent toward the end of "East Bound and Down". Gleason has a treasure trove of hilarious lines and it was this movie that started my love affair of cars back in the early 1980s. When it is finally torn off along with the car's roof in the impact with the girder, the missing fender still reappears later on in the film. A 1975 Pontiac Grand Prix with a Buick Electra behind it. Buford, with Junior along, ignores his jurisdiction and doggedly chases Bandit all the way to Georgia to retrieve Carrie while various mishaps cause his cruiser to disintegrate on the way. While it is doubtful Pontiac sold very many LeMans police packages, if one views this show as realistic, it would seem nearly every county and highway patrol in five states purchased one of Pontiacs heavy duty offerings. It just seems wrong to see that car in any fashion without hearing that song. Misconception by casual novice car fans is that the Trams Am didnt sell well until S&B. You want to questions bra sales, check out the youtube video of Hang on Sloopy by the Mccoys, the color version.wowza! With Reynolds' salary at $1 million, Needham was left with only $3.3 million to make the film. The differences between the two are major. Much of the surrounding scene comes from that immediate vicinity. I have worked a long time to eradicate the one I had but it still crops up periodically from exposure, like you experienced. How much did the Smokey and the Bandit car sell for? When Smokey & The Banditfirst aired on television in the early 1980s, the Gleason phrase sum bitcha regional butchering of son of a bitchhad to be dubbed out. I think more of Smokey and the Bandit II and the awful part 3 were filmed largely in Florida, I dont know if I-75 construction was started by 1976-77, at least the section down to Miami part, when they filmed. Two cars were reportedly badly damaged in early stunts in the film, while a third car was completely destroyed during the famous bridge jump scene. For this purpose, they overdubbed dialogue deemed offensive, which was common practice. The cashier never batted an eye as she sold us the mass quantities of suds. From what I have read the artist did the poster rendering from some blown up stills that he was shown from the movie, and none of them for some mysterious reason included the Trans Am, the truck, Reynolds, Gleason, Sally Field, crashing police cars, but no T/A. I thought at the time that it was a newer version of White Lightning (also with Burt Reynolds) and that Smokey would be forgotten just as soon. [31] Smokey and the Bandit was released in the United Kingdom on August 28 and was a success there, garnering positive reviews. Thats all true. So lets explore this car (and truck) heavy flick, all while giving those who have not seen it a glimpse into a movie whose complexity and intellect remains unparalleled within the history of cinema. Most of the dialogue was improvised on set. The production team wrecked three for the four cars it received from Pontiac. New York, A 1977 special-edition model once owned by the late actor Burt Reynolds recently wound up on the car auction website Bring a Trailer. In 1978, Pontiac delivered 93,351 Trans Ams and 93,944 regular Firebirds for a grand total of 187,295 cars. Learn how your comment data is processed. [original research?] . "Buford T. Justice" was the name of a real Florida Highway Patrolman known to Reynolds' father, who was once Police Chief of Riviera Beach, Florida. Many nameplates lost their performance credentials, and some of them, like the Ford Mustang, were redesigned without a V-8 engine. The film was a sleeper hit, and following a poor initial performance, it went on to gross $126.7 million in North America, versus a budget of only $4.3 million. So why did they go with sound effects instead of the Trans Am's actually exhaust noise? While the Snowman drives the truck carrying the beer, the Bandit drives a Pontiac Trans Am to distract law enforcement (called blocking) and keep the attention off the Snowman. how many cars were destroyed in smokey and the bandit 2. No, the T/A was selling fine before the movie, and the black/gold package dates to 1976, a full year before the movie was out in summer 77. The Bandit Run quickly became a fixture, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the movie with a special 2017 screening of the film attended by Reynolds and a recreation of the jump undertaken by the Bandit and Frog across a river. In addition to the four Trans Ams, Needham also received two Pontiac LeMans models to serve as patrol cars in the movie. Out of four Trans Ams used for the filming of Smokey And The Bandit, three were completely totaled in the process. I still regret selling mine almost 30 years ago. Plus , I loved those late 1960s through mid 1970s Plymouths even though Im a Bowtie Guy by default . It opened in other Northern states at the end of July. It outsold its Chevrolet Camaro counterpart for the first time. I was a junior high school age kid when this film came out. However, as our heroes were successful in delivering their truckload of Coors, the writers effectively poised themselves for a sequel. I own all three films on a dvd called the Smokey and The Bandit Pursuit Pack. A series of four made-for-TV spin-off films (Bandit Goes Country, Bandit Bandit, Beauty and the Bandit, and Bandit's Silver Angel) were produced in 1994 for Universal Television's Action Pack with actor Brian Bloom playing a younger version of the Bandit. His personaround, dumpy, and clipping wordsreminds one of another fictional southern sheriff. Thank you for signing up to CinemaBlend. Arguably the most iconic Pontiac Firebird in history. Sally Field and Burt Reynolds began a relationship after meeting on set. Not that Id kick either front end style out of the garage for dripping oil, as long as they dont have the 403 in them anyway. And it was worth it for the brand, as the nameplate sales decided following the redesign. The T/A is just as quick as my present Challenger is, but the Challenger doesnt have anything close to the throttle response it had, and I miss it. The third-generation Firebird was introduced in 1982, a full two years later than planned. [14] The Trans Ams were actually 1976-model cars with 1977 front ends (from 1970 to 1976, both the Firebird/Trans Am and Chevrolet Camaro have two round headlights and in 1977, the Firebird/Trans Am was changed to four rectangular headlights, and the Camaro remained unchanged). Let us dissect this flick to better examine it. I enjoyed the hell out of my 1976 Dart Pursuit. I started cruising through EBay and the next thing I knew I won the auction for a clean 400/4 speed/T-Top 78 Trans Am. A group of Trans Am owners and fans of the movie take part in an annual road trip from Texarkana to Jonesboro, recreating the route taken by the characters in the film. Smokey and the Bandit was the second highest-grossing domestic film of 1977 in the United States. If I recall correctly, Firebirds in general (along with Camaros) were selling well prior to 1977, but the Trans Am was not the best-selling one. WildI watched this for the first time in years after watching the latest Archer.the whole thing is an homage to S&B. Back in 1984, I went to look at a late 1970s Plymouth cop car as well. I know that Trans Am that . About two seconds after this picture was taken, these motorcycles were doing their best imitation of a stack of pancakes. In the 1977 movie Smokey and the Bandit, a high-speed chase ensues between the police and the Bandit (Burt Reynolds). This movie was filmed in Georgia as well. When Smokey & The Bandit first aired on television in the early 1980s, the Gleason phrase "sum bitch"-a regional butchering of "son of a bitch"-had to be dubbed out. There are an abundance of cars in this movie. The three movie cars were destroyed during various stunts, so the promo car is the only surviving Trans Am connected to this film. He claimed that the Bandit is never made aware of Frog's leaving Junior at the altar, which is why the Bandit continually asks why a Texas sheriff is chasing him. I distinctly remember my mother buying Coors and being asked if she lived in Missouri or Illinois by the cashier. The film's editors, Walter Hannemann and Angelo Ross, were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing. As Fred Flintstone was modeled off Ralph Kramden, the Jackie Gleason character from the 1950s television showThe Honeymooners, the tone and intonation of the dubbing was highly convincing. The Bandit's car was a second-generation Trans Am and the prize for completing the run was a new truck rather than $80,000. They return one minute after their time limit, but instead of taking the payoff, Carrie and Bandit accept a double-or-nothing offer from Little Enos: a challenge to run up to Boston and bring back clam chowder in 18 hours. Although he's into just about any type of vehicle, Ciprian is not your typical car enthusiast. Dodge pitchman Sheriff Joe Higgins. The Trans Am was already pretty popular in the mid-1970s, with sales hitting 68,745 units in 1977. Burt Reynolds' 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Sold for $240,000. I think even the 2nd gen Camaro enjoyed some of the blast wave from Smokey and the Bandit, 1979 was the best year ever for Camaros as well, with over 280,000 Camaros being sold. The original film had correct sounds that were usually recorded live as the action took place. The Bandit takes the bet on the risky and unprecedented task, and recruits his partner Cledus "Snowman" Snow to drive the truck, while Bandit drives a black Pontiac Trans Am bought in advance from the Burdettes as a "blocker" to divert attention away from the truck and its illegal cargo. As I am finishing this article while Big Truck Week is winding down, here is a Kenworth with a 1973 Dodge Polara patrol car. When I was a kid I thought they were the same person. . Also up for auction was a go-kart replica of the car, which sold for nearly $14,000. Heres how it works. Sonny Shroyer (Enos) was the motorcycle cop who was given the 1-finger salute by Sally Field. Producer Hal Needham intended Smokey and the Bandit to be one of the best product placement films of all time. I still couldnt resist lighting up the Pontiacs tires while executing my T-turns. (Still). Many hardcore fans of Burt Reynolds' most iconic movie, 1977's "Smokey and The Bandit," know that none of those cool black Pontiac Trans Ams with gold trim survived the stunts in the film. Rockford Files also featured Firebird, and was on since 1974, and Fs sold well despite gas crunch I and inflation. Additionally, he can give you several reasons why theres still no replacement for displacement. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I'm afraid I was responsible for a good few of those. The scenes set in Texarkana were filmed in Jonesboro and the surrounding area and many of the chase scenes were filmed in the surrounding areas on Highway 54 between Fayetteville and Jonesboro for a majority of the driving scenes, Mundy's Mill Road, Main Street in Jonesboro, Georgia State Route 400, I-85 (Pleasant Hill exit) and in McDonough. A 1975 Pontiac Grand Ville, seen toward the end of the movie. A dastardly scoundrel? So these kind of represented a rebellion attitude to the government mandated diesel econo hatches everyone thought we were going to be forced to drive in the 80sinterestingly 1979 was also the best year for the Corvette too. East bound and down, loaded up and truckin 1975 PLYMOUTH FURY HIGHWAY PATROL "SMOKEY & THE BANDIT" 1/18 BY . Reynolds actively pushed for her casting after Universal initially resisted, claiming Field was not attractive enough. The Bandit's car was a second-generation Trans Am and the prize for completing the run was a new truck rather than $80,000. Apparently the engine sounds were lifted from another movie, I think two lane blacktop? The updated version of the film features sound inaccurate for what would be produced by the Trans Am or the numerous other Pontiac vehicles in the film. Jane Russell hawked bras on television for full-figured gals like her, a line that evoked snickers among my high-school classmates. I was 10 when this movie came out and I loved it then and I still do. The 1977 model wasn't out yet when filming began, so General Motors provided 1976 cars with front clips from the soon-to-be-released 1977 update. The third film which had no involvement from either Hal Needham or Sally Field and contained only a short cameo appearance by Burt Reynolds revolved entirely around Jackie Gleason's character, was panned by critics, and was a box office bomb, earning only $7 million against a $9 million budget.[41][42][43]. Comments Hes fodder enough for his own article at some point. It wasnt distributed in Washington in those days either. [18] A 1974 Time magazine article explains that Coors was so coveted for its lack of stabilizers and preservatives, and Coors Banquet Beer had a brief renaissance. How many police cars were wrecked in Smokey and the Bandit? As a kid that T/A, the General Lee, and KITT were largely responsible for defining my taste in cars and that carries through to today. For instance, the diesel engine start and run-up sequence in the opening sequence of the film were completely dubbed over with a new sound. The 403 Olds T/A was a dog, stock, but with some easily obtained parts, could be turned into a very nice low 13 second tire melter. I looked at a Bluesmobile worthy 1977 Plymouth Grand Fury, the big ones, it was an ex Florida Highway Patrol car, but it had a pretty good amount of rust and it was pretty beat. The 79-year-old 70s and 80s heartthrob made a rare public appearance over the weekend at Wizard World Chicago. A couple of years ago, I was sitting around on a lazy Saturday afternoon and it was on TV. Soon as I get home, first thing Im gonna do is punch yo mamma in da mouth!. Stroker Ace is after S&B, 1983, and features the then new for 83 aero Fox Body Thunderbird. It had the Modello cam kit, ported 69(I think) heads with upsized valves, headers, aftermarket intake, 3.21 gears (Up from 2.41 stock!) Cledus "Snowman" Snow (Jerry Reed) drives the truck while his good buddy Bo "Bandit" Darville (Reynolds) serves as the "blocker," a fast car used to divert police attention away from payload. [8] Niver provided much of the western attire worn in the film, as well as the custom-made sheriff's uniforms (waist size 64") that Gleason wore throughout the film. It was the second highest-grossing film of the year, trailing only Star Wars: A New Hope, and it made Burt Reynolds into a certifiable superstar. Mrs Jason wont let me sell the sumbitch. Except that shes not sagging. I have to admit, thats a pretty fantastic story, and as a major movie star, Im sure Burt Reynolds was able to figure out another way to acquire a means of transportation. We stopped in that same Safeway later on the way back home from southern Cal, and they had a huge display of cases of Coors out on the floor near the checkstands. In return, Reynolds portrayed Boss Hogg (originally portrayed by Sorrell Booke) in the film adaptation The Dukes of Hazzard (2005). Her groom? It consists of any of the various Louisiana-style hot sauces on Texas toast-style bread alongside the fourth most famous product of Pittsburg, Texas (behind Pilgrim's Pride, Cavender's, and Carroll Shelby)Pittsburg Hot Links. Needham saw an advertisement for the soon-to-be-released 1977 Pontiac Trans Am and knew right away that would be the Bandit's car, or, as Needham referred to it, a character in the movie. Chevy brought back the Z28, and cant say S&B was reason. He gave Needham a preview of the song and, getting no reaction, offered to rewrite it. Today, Smokey and the Bandit remains one of the most popular car action films ever made, and the 1977 Pontiac Trans Am will forever be wed to the movie. I am still drawn to the shape of these cars, and others that have that long and low look about them. For a little visual variety of sorts, and possibly an indicator of what car was about to be wrecked, the producers did branch out to use the 1975-era Plymouth Fury as another police car. Neither Buford nor any other lawmen know of Snowman's illegal manifest, while Bandit is likewise unaware that Buford is chasing him because of Carrie, whose jumpiness inspires Bandit to give her the CB handle "Frog". In its place was the nonsensical scum bum. The voice over actor? Anyone with insight is encouraged to share their knowledge on this. If you watched the second clip above, this truck should look familiar. Before Gleason was cast in the film, Richard Boone was originally considered for the role of Buford T. [5], Universal Studios bankrolled Smokey and the Bandit for $5.3 million, figuring it was a good risk. Jesus, did you just call Carmine a car novice? Needing a fast set of wheels to distract law enforcement, Reynolds character purchases this 1977 Pontiac Trans-Am. A blackguard? Cinemablend is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Great fun! The dubbed version is awful. [35], The "diablo sandwich" ordered by Sheriff Justice in the Arkansas barbecue restaurant scene has entered popular culture as a minor reference to the film. Because sales were so high, Pontiac decided to delay the third-generation model. While Sheriff Justice doesnt deal well with the pressures of high speed pursuit, as seen above, his Pontiac LeMans (CC here) withstands the most abuse of any car in this entire movie. Coors wasnt pasteurized. The Trans Am used in the movie was a 1976 model with the front end of a 1977 car. Except for Gleason, the original actors mostly redubbed their lines for the television version. The sticker read "T/A 6.6," which was a reminder of the engine's 6.6-liter displacement. He contacted Pontiac and an agreement was made that four 1977 Trans Ams and two Pontiac LeMans four-door sedans would be provided for the movie. and the Dixie Dance Kings, and Burts car was a 57 [56?] Field enjoyed making the film, but remembers that virtually the entire project was improvised. Ask him to choose between a BMW M4 and an Audi RS5, and hell gladly trade both for a beat-up Cuda.
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